The Rogue Cat
by pillowrabbit
Summary: Stone used to an admired and noble Thunderclan warrior, but now, he wanders the streets of Twolegplace, alone and forgotten. Mouse is a tiny kit who Stone finds one day, half buried in the snow and starving to death. As he cares for the broken kit, the secrets from his past are unraveled. This is the story of the cat who used to be, the cat who was no more, the rogue cat.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

It was the dead of leafbare. Snow was falling down in large flakes, covering the streets and houses with a thick white blanket. The sky was a gloomy gray, with no signs of the sun. The streets were isolated, for everyone was at home, warming themselves up and trying to thaw their frozen feet. Every now and then, a lone wind moaned, aching for a companion in the frostbitten world.

A tom trudged through the Twolegplace. He was gray, with amber eyes. His ears were scarred and most of his whiskers were torn off. His ragged fur blew in the harsh wind like patchy grass. His tail whipped around, as if lifeless.

Indeed, the tom didn't look very attractive, with his many scars and ungroomed fur. Yet, in the past, he could recall what he used to look like: a sly smile, bright and alert eyes, with fur so sleek you could see your reflection in it. But those days were long gone.

The cat struggled through the thick snow, cursing every now and then when his paws slipped. "Drat this snow," he muttered under his breath. A wind tugged at him, and he hissed in annoyance.

The cold came at him and gnawed at his bones. He shivered. Somewhere far back in his memory, he remembered sleeping curled up with his Clanmates, warm and with his belly full. _No,_ he thought sharply, narrowing his eyes. _Don't think about that. Don't think of the Clans ever again._

He paused and stared up at the sky. It was still a cloudy gray. He felt sadness deep in his heart, but quickly shrugged it away.

"Mew."

The tom suddenly pricked his ears up and quickly spun around. Was there another cat here? There was nothing but the snow and the Twoleg dens. But wait….

There was something small lying in the ground. The cat's stomache rumbled. Maybe it was prey. Slowly, he began to creep toward it, and was just about to pounce when….he realized that it wasn't prey. It was a kit, and a pretty tiny one at that. In fact, it was about the size of a rat. Its dirt-brown fur was thin, and it shivered with the cold. It looked up at the tom with the blue-est eyes he had ever seen.

The tom snorted and turned away. He already had difficulty catching enough food for himself. He didn't need a kit to get in his way.

But…

He looked back. The kit was still staring at him with those deep blue eyes. The kit shivered again and closed them, wrapping his tail around his small form. The snowflakes fell softly on his fur.

The tom sighed. He couldn't just leave the kit there to die. Bramblestar would be ashamed of him if he had found out he did that.

The tom winced. _Don't think about Bramblestar. Don't think about the past. It's over with them. _

He padded over to the kit and gently poked it with a paw. The kit let out a barely inaudible mew and curled up tighter. The older cat sighed. He leaned down and grasped the kit by the scruff of its neck. It let out a squeak and tried to wriggle free. He mumbled around the scruff, "Calm down, kit. I'm taking you home with me." The kit's ears pricked up, and then it lay still. The cat was surprised at how thin it was. It was nothing but fur and bones. He padded through the silent, empty streets, and closed his eyes to the feel of the wind brushing through his fur.

**And that's the first chapter, folks. I'll be continuing the story.**


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

As the tom and kit trudged through the thick snow, a blizzard began to form. The harsh wind clawed at their eyes and bit their ears. Snowflakes whirled around them, faster and faster, until they were only a white blur. It was strange. It was as if they had suddenly entered an empty white world. The only noise came from the whipping wind and the scared mews from the kit.

The cold sank its teeth into the cat's skin. He clenched his teeth. Was he even going the right way? The blizzard made it hard to see anything. The kit whimpered and shivered. The tom closed his eyes against the blinding white, and flattened his ears. The blizzard threatened to overwhelm him, to knock him off his paws and bury him under the blanket of snow. He just wanted to give up, to let go and let the wind take him. The kit meowed in protest.

The tom opened his eyes and flexed his claws. _No, _he thought. _I can't be defeated that easily. _He lifted his head and forced himself to move against the buffeting wind, to place one paw in front of the other.

Slowly, carefully, he began to trudge through the snow. The kit in his jaws shivered with the cold, but he was already beginning to grow numb. He couldn't feel anything.

Suddenly, a strong gust knocked him off his paws. He let out a startled yowl and fell on his side. Quickly, he scrambled up and shook his fur. _The kit! Where's the kit?_ Frantically searching, he pushed his nose to the snow and tried to find its scent. He pricked his ears up when he heard a muffled wail. Stumbling, he picked his way over to where the kit was. It had fallen into a shallow ditch. Carefully, the tom lifted it up by the scruff and continued walking.

He flattened his ears when another strong gale threatened to overwhelm him. But he pressed on. Soon, the cold became crushing. The snowflakes filled his nose and he couldn't breathe. They stung in his eyes so he couldn't see. He clenched his teeth, and whispered the words that he hadn't thought of in moons, "_StarClan help me_." The blizzard faltered, but only for a second. Soon, it started up again, stronger than ever. The wind whistled through his ears. They seemed to be forming words. _Aaaaaa….oo….ssssss….sssStttt….Ssttoneclaww….._

Stoneclaw. The tom's ears pricked up at the familiar word filled with memories.

He squinted through the hazy gray. There! He could just make out something in the distance….could it be?

It was! They were almost there!

He choked back a relieved sigh and started bounding through the snow. The kit had stopped moaning and lay still. Was he alright? The tom shrugged the worries away and concentrated on putting one paw in front of the other. It was getting harder to do that. He was exhausted.

The wind murmured, "…sssssss…ooooo…..Sssstoneclawwww….."

He hissed. _Shut up_, he screamed silently. _That's not my name anymore! _

Slowly, he reached his destination. It was a tattered and torn cardboard box lying by the side of the road, with a few crumpled newspapers inside. _Home_, _sweet, home_, he thought mournfully. Gently, he pushed the kit inside, and then crawled in after him.

It was dark inside, but warm. His ears and paws were numb. He nudged the kit. "H-hey," he said. His teeth wouldn't stop chattering from the cold. "W-wake up. We're….we're h-here." The kit curled up into a tight ball and murmured softly, "Cold." The tom let out a sigh of relief. The kit was still alive.

Suddenly, his old anger flared up. Why should he be worried about a stupid kit? He turned his back to the corner and tucked his paws under his chest. He sneezed. _Great. Now I've got a cold. _He lowered his head and closed his eyes, trying to ignore the aching pain in his heart.

The tom let his thoughts whirl around in his head. He thought sleepily, _StarClan….that's the first time I've prayed to them in quite a while. _He squeezed his eyes tightly and wrapped his tail around his nose. _Cloudtail….Brightheart….Lionblaze….are you guys alright? _He felt a wail form in his throat and clenched his jaws to keep it from leaking out. _Squirrelflight…I'm sorry. _A tear leaked out, but he quickly brushed it away and tried to sleep.

Without warning, he felt something soft brush his side and he quickly jerked his head up. "Wha-?" The kit was curling up next him. The small cat buried its nose into the tom's shoulder and whispered, "It's cold." The tom felt a sudden impulse to push it away and hiss, but something stopped him from doing that. Sighing, he instead wrapped his tail around the kit and snuggled him closer, sharing each other's warmth. The kit smiled and brushed its head against his chest. He felt the dull ache in his heart slowly fade away. "Mouse….I'll name you Mouse," he whispered. "And my name is Stone." Stone. Not Stoneclaw. He let out a shuddering sigh and let sleep overtake him.

**Yeah….to be continued. Please leave reviews! I'd love to see what you guys think of it.**


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

**Stone's POV**

The sunlight filtered through the holes in the box and warmed my fur. I slowly opened one eye and glanced at the sleeping kit curled up next to me. He was sound asleep, and his nose was buried in my shoulder. My gaze softened. He looked so peaceful….

_No. I won't fall for that. _I quickly shoved him away.

Then I got up, gave myself a quick groom, and padded outside to see if I could find something to eat. _He'll probably leave when he wakes up, _I thought. Deep down in my heart, I felt a twinge of sadness. It had been a long time since I talked to another cat. Maybe having a companion wouldn't be so bad after all. But I quickly shoved those thoughts away and concentrated on scenting the air. I smelled some trash cans nearby and quickly bounded over to them.

I leaped onto one and tried to pry the lid off with my claws. It was stuck so tight that it wouldn't budge. I hissed in annoyance. After trying a fifth time without success, I gave up. Oh, well. I could find food somewhere else.

I jumped off the trash can and looked around. The streets were covered with a thick blanket of fresh snow. A few Twolegs were walking about, along with the occasional monster. A familiar scent suddenly wafted towards me and I flattened my ears. Dogs. They were nearby. I turned around and continued searching for food, keeping my ears and eyes alert in case the mutts found me.

I wandered around the streets for a few more moments, nosing the ground and trying to find something edible. I didn't have much luck. The only thing I could find was a stale bread crust, which I quickly gulped down.

Since I couldn't find anything else, I headed home. My stomach rumbled in protest, but there wasn't anything I could do about it.

I thought about a lot of stuff along the way. Mostly, I thought about the kit. Where did he come from? He didn't smell like a kittypet or forest cat. Is he a loner like me? What happened to his parents? I'll have to ask him those questions when I get home.

An icy wind blew past me, and I shivered.

Stupid kit. He gets to stay in that cardboard box out of the cold and snow while I have to do all the hunting. Oh well. I'll chase him out as soon as I get back.

I was so preoccupied in my thoughts that I almost didn't notice the crow.

It was standing at the foot of a scrawny tree. Its feathers were a glossy black, and it strutted around proudly with its head up. It let out a harsh, loud croak, and leaned back to preen its feathers.

I narrowed my eyes. My mouth began to water and I flexed my claws. _Fresh-kill. _And the stupid bird didn't even notice that I was there.

Quietly and stealthily, I hid behind in a bush and crouched down, preparing to pounce. I bunched up the muscles in my hind legs and kept my tail down low. All of my thoughts and attention were focused on the crow. I licked my lips. I could almost taste the mouth-watering aroma of its flesh, the crunch of its bones as I bit into it….

I was just about to leap at it when I heard snow crunching behind me. Footsteps. I didn't think much of it. It must be a stupid Twoleg out for a morning stroll.

Without warning, the crow suddenly screeched out a high-pitched alarm call that echoed around the buildings and shattered my ears. It unfurled its wings and prepared to take off.

_No! _

I pounced, but it was a second too late. My claws met snow instead of feathers, and I watched in rage as the bird spiraled into the air and flew away. I was about to spit out a curse when abruptly, something rammed into me so hard, it felt like every bone in my body was being broken.

The charge made me airborne for about five seconds before I crash-landed onto the concrete ground. In a daze, I looked up, and what I saw made my blood run cold.

Dogs. There were three of them, and they stood so close to me that I could see them in perfect detail. The leader of the trio, a large, shaggy, German Shepherd, was the one who had rammed into me. His large, beady eyes glared into mine, and his mouth was parted to show yellow, craggy teeth. The other dogs were standing beside him, one on each side. One of them was a thin, bony mutt, and he was every inch as terrifying. The other dog was a fierce black Lab.

In less than a second, I was back on my paws and running.

The collision had left me with a bleeding nose and an aching side, but I could still run as fast as ever. I skidded around corners and weaved between the Twolegs. The houses were a blur as I sprinted past them. I didn't care where I was going. I just needed to get as far away from those dogs as possible. They were behind me, chasing me. I could hear their heavy panting as they tried to catch up.

I kept running, running as fast as I could go. The wind howled in my ears, and my heart pounded furiously. Were they still chasing me? I quickly glanced back. Two of the dogs had fallen behind, their pink tongues lolling out of their mouths as they struggled to catch up. But the leader, the German Shepherd, was still going strong. In fact, he might even be gaining on me.

I let out a startled yowl. He was no more than two foxlengths away! I forced myself to run faster, but I was already getting tired. My breathing became labored.

The dog was still catching up to me. He grinned a wicked smile, showing off his ugly teeth. His eyes glinted victoriously when he realized that I was slowing down.

_No! I'm not giving up! _

I forced myself to keep running, and quickly looked for an escape route. My eyes caught on the Thunderpath. Monsters were roaring and zooming all over it, but I might be able to run across it to the other side of the street. Maybe, just maybe, the monsters might be enough to discourage the dogs from chasing me.

I skidded to a halt and concentrated on the Thunderpath. The monsters were running all over it, screeching and belching out noxious fumes. I desperately waited for a gap in the traffic where I could run through. I glanced at the dogs. They were gaining. Cursing under my breath, I realized that I had to run. Right _now._ There was no other choice. If a waited for another second, I would be crowfood.

Flattening my ears, I launched myself across the Thunderpath and closed my eyes. I didn't want to see myself getting squashed under the paws of the monster. I felt the rough black stone under my paths and immediately galloped across the surface.

The monsters dashed past me, ruffling my gray fur and belching out their stinky breath that made my eyes water. Their eyes glared down at me as they rushed past. Their paws rumbled beneath the ground. But I didn't dare stop. _Keep running. You can make it._

The other side of the street! I was almost there!

The blood pounded in my ears. With the remaining strength I had left, I bunched up the muscles in my hind legs and launched myself into the air. A monster rushed past me, so close that I could see the Twoleg inside it. The black stone of the Thunderpath rushed out from under me, and before I knew it, I landed with a loud WHACK! onto the sidewalk.

I had made it. I had run past a road full of monsters and survived.

I lay on the sidewalk, my breath coming in quick gasps and my legs splayed out. The sprinting had made me exhausted. The dogs stood on the other side with the river of monsters separating us. They whined and growled in frustration because they knew that they didn't have a chance in running through the Thunderpath. Sighing and snarling, they turned back and walked away.

Except for the leader. He lingered for a few moments, glaring at me with those sharp, beady eyes, as if to say _You may have won this time. But next time, you won't be so lucky. _I glared back and stuck my tongue out at him. Then I leaned back and started to groom my unkempt fur. I felt proud. I was probably the first cat to be able to that, to run through the chaos of the Thunderpath with all the monsters zipping through it. I felt brave and courageous, as if I could take on the whole world.

I knew the moment wouldn't last. But I spent every minute, savoring that feeling.

After resting, I heaved myself to my paws and started home. My nose had stopped bleeding a little, but it still trickled down like a thin stream. I tried not to get the blood on my paws.

Grinning, I tipped my head back to look at the gray, cloudy sky, and whispered to myself, "You see that, StarClan? I don't need a Clan to look after me. I can survive perfectly on my own."

But deep down, I knew that wasn't true. I still missed the warmth of a Clanmate's fur, their voices when they shared tongues with eachother, and how we curled up every night in our cozy dens and exchanged stories. I felt a hint of sadness, and I let those memories whirl around my head like mist.

**Woo, I was on a roll today. The chapter practically wrote itself. **


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

**Mouse's POV**

I awoke to the sound of birds chirping outside, and slowly cracked upon one eye. The bright sunlight made me wince. I yawned and stretched, and leaned back against the cardboard wall to look at the scenery outside.

_Wait….what?_

I quickly leaped back in shock and gazed wildly around. Where was I? I was in some sort of a cardboard box lying by the side of the road. How did I get here?

I sat down, and then, suddenly, my memories came rushing back to me. I remembered it all.

It was snowing really hard yesterday. The wind was moaning and wailing like a lost dog, and it blew so hard that it tore away the bush that my family was sheltering under. Since it was freezing cold, we needed to find shelter fast, and we wandered around the streets, trying to find a safe place. There was nothing. Nothing except the houses and the quiet falling snow, and the fierce wind. My parents urged me and my sister along, but we were so tired, we kept stumbling. My sister cried with pain every time she fell. The cold had cracked her paws and made them bleed. We tried to coax her to walk, and we tried carrying her, but she kept moaning and wailing. The cold soon became unbearable. My sister stopped struggling. She fell into the snow and didn't try to get up again. I remember, the last time I saw her, lying there, she looked so small. It looked as if the snow threatened to swallow her up. Her patchy pale fur was fluffed out, and her eyes were glazed over. I tried to get her to stand up, but she wouldn't. Her legs were so cold, they were frozen stiff. My parents called for me to go, and I obeyed. There wasn't anything else I could do. I looked back. My sister was lying in the snow, her tail curled around her small form. Her eyes were pale and unseeing, and I knew that she was finally gone.

A blizzard formed after that. It became difficult to see. I got lost and couldn't find my parents anywhere. The cold was crushing, and I was tired and hungry. I lay down to rest, and I had hoped that when I woke up it would be morning.

And then…what happened after that? I tipped my head to one side, trying to remember. Oh, yeah. A strange cat came by and saw me. I was sleepy and I had to struggled to keep my eyes open. I remembered, that when I first saw him, I thought he was my father coming to look for me. I tried to call out, but I was so exhausted that I couldn't even let out a squeak. The cat carried me through the blizzard. He took me here, to this cardboard box.

So that was what happened.

What was his name again? Stone? Where was he right now? Oh, well. He probably left when he made sure that I was safe. That was really nice of him, to save me from the blizzard. I'd have to thank him later.

But my sister and parents….My eyes clouded over with grief. My sister was dead. I didn't know where my mother and father were. I was all alone in the universe now.

Choking back tears, I looked at myself, and was surprised at how thin I was. All of my ribs were visible through my fur. Hunger gnawed at my stomach, and I winced. I needed to find something to eat soon. I weakly heaved myself to my paws and staggered outside. The snow lay thickly across the sidewalks. The sun was shining brightly, even though it was the middle of leaf-bare.

I slowly made my way through the snow. It was as high as my chin, and I struggled to swim through it. It was extremely difficult. After a few minutes, I stopped and panted for breath. The hunger stabbed at me with its claws, sharper than ever. I let out a soft moan.

"What are you doing?" a gruff voice asked.

I looked up in surprise. A dark gray cat was towering before me, his amber eyes narrow and unfriendly. It was the same tom who had rescued me!

I tried to struggle to my paws, but I was too weak to do so. Stone snorted, and looked at me with the expression as if he was staring at a piece of dung. I suddenly felt very awkward. He commanded, "Get up." I tried my best to struggle out of the snow, but the hunger was grabbing me and tearing me apart. "I-I can't," I gasped. Stone muttered something under his breath. Then he leaned down and grabbed me by the scruff of my neck. He carried me back to the cardboard box and dumped me roughly onto the floor. He eyed me warily. I quickly looked down and scuffled my paws. Why was he being so unfriendly with me?

My stomach growled, and I blushed. Stone meowed, "I couldn't find any food. You'll just have to try your best to ignore the hunger for now." He turned his back to me and began to groom his tangled fur. I spotted a dot of blood crusted on his nose. His side was bruised an ugly black color. I exclaimed, "You're hurt!" Immediately, I scrambled over to him. I tried to wipe the blood away with my paw, but he quickly jumped up as if I had clawed him. He spat, "Leave me alone!" Startled, I reared back. His neck fur bristled, and he looked ready to tear me apart. Still hissing, he backed away and glared at me. My eyes were wide with shock. I whispered, "S-sorry." Why was he so angry?

His fur was fluffed up until he looked twice as big, and he was breathing heavily. His eyes were narrowed and furious.

We stared at eachother in a heavy silence. He certainly wasn't pleased that I was here. Should I leave? But I had nowhere else to live.

My eyes brimmed with tears when I suddenly remembered my family. I clenched my teeth and tried to keep the tears from falling. _It's alright, _I told myself. _Mom and Dad are alright. They have to be. You'll find them soon enough. _But part of me knew that I would probably never see them again. They were probably lying in the snow like my sister.

Stone's ears pricked up when he realized that I was crying. He opened his mouth as if to say something, but then hesitated. I sniffed and tried to brush the tears away with my paws, but they wouldn't stop falling.

_My family…they're gone._

I closed my eyes and whimpered softly.

I heard Stone padding towards me, and I immediately opened them again. He was standing above me, with one paw raised, and a look of uncertainty in his amber eyes. I yelped. Was he going to hit me?

Instead, he patted my head awkwardly. He mumbled uncomfortably, "Hey, uh, sorry I yelled at you. It's just that….I get angry sometimes."

I gazed up at him. His fur was beginning to lie flat again, and the anger from his eyes was gone. I scuffled my paws and mewed quietly, "I…wasn't crying because of that."

I suddenly winced when I felt the hunger pains again. When was the last time I ate? Four days ago? My legs felt too weak to hold me up, and I toppled to the ground. "Hey!" Stone cried. "What's wrong?" My vision was beginning to get blurry. I was feeling light-headed. The hunger tore into me ravenously, tearing my innards apart, draining me of my strength. I was starving, and there was nothing I could do except to close my eyes and wait for the pain to go away.

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**Mouse's POV**

I moaned and slowly opened my eyes. I was lying on the floor of the box. I must have passed out earlier. Stone was nearby, sniffing a chicken bone. I pricked my ears up when I saw the bone. My mouth watered. My stomach rumbled mournfully, and Stone looked at me when he realized that I was awake. He stood up and padded over to where I lay. I shrank back. Was he going to yell at me like he did earlier?

Instead, he pushed the bone closer to me and muttered, "You're starving. This was the only thing I could find, so you'd better eat it." He didn't need to tell me twice. Ravenously, I devoured the chunks of meat that were left on the bone. I didn't care that most of the meat was gone, or that it was gristly and rotten. It was _food. _I gnawed on it so hard that I left teeth marks on it. I didn't stop until it was picked clean.

Finally, I stepped back with a contented sigh. I was still hungry, but at least the hunger pains weren't as sharp as before. Stone eyed me warily. He said, "So where are you from? Are you a kittypet?" I shook my head. "I'm a loner. I got lost in the snow, and I don't know where my parents are."

I needed to find them soon, to make sure they were okay. I needed help, and then I suddenly realized what I had to to. I lifted my head and gazed into his eyes and asked, "Um, if it's no trouble, can you help me find them?"

**Stone's POV**

The kit gazed at me with those bright blue eyes, pleading me, begging me. Tears quivered at the edge of them, and I knew that he was going to cry again. What should I do?

The kit suddenly ducked his head down and murmured, "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have asked you to do that." He turned around and faced the corner, trying to hold back tears. I sighed. Finally, I said, "Fine, I'll help you find them. Happy now?" The kit turned to look at me. He smiled, softly, and then started sniffling when tears poured down his eyes. "What's wrong now?" I hissed in annoyance.

Instead of answering, he bounded over and hurled himself at me. "Wha-?" I exclaimed.

He buried his face into my fur, and he kept whimpering, "Thank you! Thank you so much!" over and over. His tears dampened my fur.

I sighed again. This is why I hated kits. They're annoying, and emotional, bratty, and unpredictable. But even so, I couldn't just throw him out into the snow to defend himself on his own. He was too young for that. I roughly pushed him away from me and stomped over to my corner. _Oh well, _I thought. _As soon as he's old enough, I'll chase him out. _


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

**Stone's POV**

Two weeks have passed, and the kit has grown stronger with each passing day. Since food is scarce, I was only able to feed him a few scraps each day: bread crumbs, soggy French fries, the crumbs left in potato chip bags, and, occasionally, I raided and stole from the other stray cats that wandered Twolegplace. I gave most of the food to him because I didn't like the look of the ribs showing through his pelt. I ate when I could.

Each day, I went out to look for his parents. I didn't want to; the snow was freezing cold and I preferred to stay in the box. But I had to go. If I didn't, the kit would just cry and wail all over again. The dumb crybaby.

I didn't have much luck in finding his parents. I did encounter a few cats, but most of them were kittypets, and the others ran off as soon as they saw me.

Why do I even bother trying? His parents could be anywhere by now. They could even be dead, for all I knew. Yet, the mousebrained kit kept pestering me and begging me with that annoying high-pitched voice of his, so I had to keep searching.

The snow was too deep for him to walk in, so I let him stay home. I don't want him following me anyways.

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**Mouse's POV**

I miss them: my mother, father, and sister. Every day, I longed to see them, and every day, I was disappointed when they didn't return. Stone always tries his best when he searches for them; I know he does. Yet, every day, he returns in vain. I know he doesn't like me. But where else could I go? I wanted to search for them with him, but he doesn't let me. The snow is too deep for me to walk in. I know the real reason why he doesn't want me to follow: he thinks I'm whiny and annoying. I don't blame him, though. He's doing to the best he can to cope with me.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

**Mouse's POV**

There is a hobo that lives across the street from us. His beard is tangled and dirty. His teeth are blackened. His skin is wrinkled, and he wears threadbare rags. He is terribly thin. Yet, his eyes are gentle, and his voice is soft and soothing.

Stone visits him sometimes. I watch them from inside the cardboard box, and I make sure that they don't see me.

Stone sits a few tail-lengths away from the hobo, and together, they watch the Twolegs and monsters rumble by. The hobo has a little metal can next to him, and sometimes, the walkers drop little shiny coins into it. They land into the can with sharp clinks. He uses them to buy food, and he shares it with Stone.

The hobo talks to Stone a lot. His voice are soft murmurs and waves that lull me to sleep on cold nights. I don't understand his language, but I can tell that Stone does. He nods and listens intently with his ears pricked whenever the hobo speaks, and his eyes are alert. Sometimes, the homeless man tries to pet him, but Stone arches his back and hisses.

I can tell that the hobo is lonely. He doesn't have anyone but the cat for company. The other Twolegs walk past him as if he wasn't there.

The homeless man sings, on some nights. His tunes are off-key and scratchy, but it does have a certain beat to it. I don't know exactly what his songs are about, but they are lonely songs, lonely like the mournful wind. His voice winds up and down the streets, wrapping me in its melody. The other people don't like it though. The Twolegs come out of their dens, shouting harshly and waving their fists at him. That doesn't stop him, though. He keeps singing. The dogs join in, and soon, the streets are filled with the chorus of wailing music. I like it. It makes me forget my worries. He keeps singing until the other Twolegs come out of their houses and threaten to hit him with rotten fruit. Then he stops his song. But only for the night. The next evening, he is singing again.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

**Stone's POV**

It was nighttime. The stars lied in a swath around the sky. The moon, with its gentle smile, hanged in the middle of the midnight blue heavens. I sat a few feet from the hobo. I make sure that I'm far enough away from him so that I can get away quickly if he makes any sudden movements. I don't trust him enough yet.

It was cold. The hobo, whose name is Bob, shivers in his thin clothes. I shiver too. Bob looks at me and winked. "Cold night, eh? It rattles my bones. But don't worry, cat, they'll thaw out by morning." I don't understand half of what he said. I'm a cat, after all, and he's a Twoleg. But I understand enough to know what he's talking about. I fluff out my fur and wrap my tail around my body, trying to warm myself up.

I don't hang around him because I like Twolegs. In fact, I despise them. I only do it because of the free food he sometimes gives me.

He wanders around most of the time, and sometimes, I don't see him for months.

A cold wind tangled itself into my fur, and I hiss. Bob watched me in amusement. He chuckled and said, "You're always complaining and irritable. I wonder why you're not a house cat? It'll be much more comfortable." I mutter under my breath, "House cats are worthless worms who spend have their lifetimes lounging around and meowing." Of course, he doesn't understand what I'm saying.

He leaned back and gazed up at the stars glittering in the pitch black night. "They're so beautiful," he murmured softly. I look up, too. The stars dance above us, twirling around and spinning in whirls. I sighed. They're so far away. What's the point of enjoying something if you can't even reach it? The hobo looks at and asks, "Did I ever tell you the story of the Jade Rabbit?" I blink at him, and then sit up.

Bob continues, "Once upon a time, far, far away, there were three kings. They used to be very rich and powerful, and lived in grand palaces with many maids and servants to attend to their every wish. They had delicious meals served to them by the best chefs, and they dressed in the most glamorous clothes. But, one day, they suddenly became very poor. All of their wealth vanished. Their palaces crumbled to dust. The servants and maids left them.

The three kings wandered around wearily, tired and hungry. They stumbled upon a forest, and there, they met three animals: a fox, a monkey, and a rabbit. The creatures could see that the men were hungry, so the fox caught them some fish, and the monkey climbed the trees and gave them fruit. The rabbit looked at their gifts, and she became sad. She had nothing to give the kings. The men looked so tired and hungry, in their ragged and thin clothes, and they had journeyed for many miles. The rabbit simply _had _to help them. So, finally, she made up her mind and said to the fox and monkey, 'Gather some twigs and build a fire'. After the fire was crackling and the smoke was coming up in great big puffs, she threw herself into the fire and said, 'Since I have no food to give you, you can eat me instead.' The kings were so touched and honored by her deed, that they built a house on the moon, a house just for her. Then they sent her to live up there forever. She still lives there, even to this day. She watches down on the earth. If you look up at the full moon and search closely, you can see her. She is the Jade Rabbit." Bob's voice trails off, and I realize that he has fallen asleep.

He is the best storyteller I have ever known. His enchanted words wash over me and into my mind, soothing me and unraveling my tangled fur.

I gaze at the moon, but I am unable to see the rabbit. Oh, well. It was just a story, after all.

The kings sent her up there as a reward, so she could be happy. But I don't get it. What's so happy about the moon? In my imagination, it was a cold and windless place, empty and barren. Who would want to live there? Was she lonely up there, I wonder? She didn't have anyone to talk to. She was all alone in her own little universe.

The Jade Rabbit was a lot like me, I realized. We were both lonely, separated from our friends and family. I look up at the moon one more time, but still, I cannot see her.

I rest my head on my paws and close my eyes. "S-stone?" a voice whispers. Immediately, I jerk my head up and my eyes fly open.

Mouse stands a few feet in front of me. I growl, "I thought the snow was too deep for you to walk in." He looks at me and grins. "That was two weeks ago. I'm stronger now," he replies.

He scuffles his paws against the snow and looks up at the hobo. "Who's he?" he asks. I snorted and turned away. "Just some Twoleg," I replied. I quickly add, "He's not anyone special. I just hang around him because he sometimes has free food."

"Oh," Mouse replies. The hobo's chest rises and falls as he breathes, quietly, softly, like the snowflakes drifting in the crisp nighttime air. Mouse said, "I listened to the story he was talking about. About the Jade Rabbit." I closed my eyes again. "Yeah," I reply. "I know, it was a dumb story."

Mouse regards me quietly. I have no idea what he's thinking about in those deep blue eyes of his.

I heaved myself to my paws and padded over to the cardboard box. I mewed, "Well, it's getting late. Time to go home." The kit doesn't say anything as he watches me leave. I enter the box, shivering as I wrapped my tail around my body. I rested my head on my paws. _The Jade Rabbit, _I thought, _is a lonely existence. Like me. We're both separated by our own society, and we're all alone in the universe. Watching, waiting, with empty hearts, and hopeless spirits. _I closed my eyes and went to sleep.

…..

Note from the author: Yeah, this chapter wasn't nearly as good. I'll update soon.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

**Mouse's POV**

Bob, the hobo. Every day, he sits in the corner of the buckling concrete sidewalk, the small metal can set next to him, his ragged jacket hugged close to his body and his breath showing like mist in the frosty leafbare morning. He's really nice. Whenever he manages to get a scrap of food, he shares it with me and Stone. He strokes me and talks to me in that gentle, whispering voice of his. It sounds like the melody of the crow's song, sharp and ragged, yet deep and echoing at the same time. Stone stays a few feet away, though. He hisses whenever Bob tries to pet him. I don't understand why.

Every night, Bob tells us stories. He talks about faraway places, and about fantasy lands. He talks about dreams, hopes, and wishes, and about the stars that are hanging just above his reach. I love his stories. They're wistful and they lull me to sleep on cold and barren nights.

Bob's eyes are silvery gray, with a tint of blue and pale purple. They're faded and old, and sometimes, he gazes into the horizon, thinking and wondering. From time to time, we just sit and watch the other Twolegs clamber by, their footsteps going _crunch, crunch, crunch _on the deep sparkling snow.

One day, Stone was out hunting, and I decided to pay the hobo a visit. He was hunched over in his usual corner, breathing on his chilly hands to keep them warm. He smiled when he saw me. "Hey there, cat, "he said. I meowed in greeting and sat down next to him. He shivered and his teeth chattered. I pressed up against him to try to keep him warm. The sun was high in the sky, its frozen rays touching my fur but not warming me up. Bob hugged his jacket closer to him, and he looked at me fondly with those moonstone eyes of his. He said, "I'll tell you a story, Mouse. This one is about me." He leaned back and sighed, his eyes closed. I snuggled up tighter against him. His eyes moved at the back of his eyelids, and I knew that he was trying to remember. A few minutes passed before he spoke again. He said, "I was born a regular kid, with a mother and a father. My mother was nice, and she took really good care of me. She spoke to me and watched over me, and held my hand and guided me over the cracks and blemishes of my childhood life. She told me wonderful stories, and I still remember some of them. But she was a fragile woman. She was like a crystal, like glass, and if you jerked her around too hard, she would break and shatter. Eventually, she caught pneumonia. We didn't have enough money for the doctor. Every day, she would just lie in bed, unmoving, her eyes gazing sadly onto the ceiling. I tried to take care of her, I really did. But, like a shattered mirror, there were just too many broken shards to put back together. On the first few days, she started coughing. On the second week, she couldn't talk. The month after that, she started hurling up blood. She lingered for a few days after that. And then she was gone." His voice trailed off. I tipped my head to one side. I wasn't sure what he meant by 'gone'. Did she leave? Where did she go? Still, I looked up at him with sympathy, and mewed quietly. His eyes glistened. He continued, "My father…he didn't care very much. At least, it didn't seem like he did. He was always home drunk, and he yelled a lot. I avoided him." He stopped again, and his brows furrowed. He was trying hard to remember what happened next, and he searched for the memories at the back of his mind, the old, forgotten memories that sat forgotten like worn photographs, faded and collecting dust. He quickly gathered them up and continued again, "I wasn't very good at school. I got lots of F's, mostly. D's, too. I grew older, never learning, never changing, keeping myself alive mainly with my mother's stories. One night…" His voice got stuck in his throat. He rasped, "One night…my father and I got into a fight. I forgot what it was about, but he ended up chasing me out of the house. And then I just broke and ran. I didn't stop running. All I wanted to do was to get away from that little house, to get away from the yelling and the hurt and the shattered mirror fragments. I wandered from street to street, trying to find jobs, failing, and finally settling down to watch the world go by. I was a really lonely lad, with no one to talk to. I didn't have anyone to share the stories to. But then there was Stone. And then there was you." He hugged me tightly. He said, "You're all I have, you and Stone. It's nice being able to talk to someone." I still don't understand all of the words in the Twoleg language, but still, I knew what he meant in his last sentence.

And then we just sat there, the two of us, counting the stars as they slowly appeared in the setting violet sky.

They say that the eyes are the openings to the soul. When I stare up at Bob's eyes, they are two dots of clouds, silver, faintly purple, and pale blue. Sometimes they bear rain. His eyes are mirrors, too, reflecting everything he sees in the world. Occasionally, when I stare at them long enough, I see pictures. I see a little wooden house with a metal roof, a long, slender, female Twoleg with her chestnut brown hair blowing in the breeze. _Ah, _I thought. _Those must be his memories. _Sometimes, sometimes, in his pale moonstone eyes, I see Bob smiling.

Stone appeared later that night. I saw him slink into the cardboard box. I turned back to the hobo and meowed, "Goodnight, Bob. I have to go now." Even though Bob can't understand a word I say, he smiled and replied, "Goodnight."

"Goodnight…"

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**Author's Note: These are the character profiles, in case you were curious:**

**Stone-dark gray tom with tattered fur and scarred muzzle, amber eyes. Personality: short-tempered, gets angry very easily, not very talkative**

**Age: 60 moons (5 years)**

**Mouse—tiny pale brown tom with deep blue eyes. Personality: shy, quiet, kind, fearful**

**Age: 3 moons**

**Bob—frail Twoleg with a gnarly beard, pale blue eyes. Personality: kind, talkative, melancholy, nice**

**Age: somewhere around 50-60 years. **


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

Many weeks passed, and Mouse grew stronger and sleeker with each passing day. However, he was still as thin as a stick. After all, there wasn't much food to find in the dead of leaf-bare.

It snowed one day. It was a soft snow, the kind that floated down in large soft flakes and covered Twolegplace like a giant white blanket. It wasn't as cold as before. Stone poked his nose out of the cardboard box and tested the air. The breeze smelled crisp and fresh, like the dew in the morning. He glanced down at the sleeping kit curled in the farthest corner of the box. The kit's bony ribs stood out with each breath he took, and he winced. Stone looked away and stepped outside. The snow surrounded his legs like water and flowed away with every step he took. He looked around.

The skeletal trees clawed at the sky, their skinny fingers reaching up like jagged teeth. A small cardinal was perched on one of its branches. Monsters were scurrying up and down the black Thunderpath, their breath making large gray puffs in the dry air. Stone looked over to the place where Bob usually sat. He wasn't there. That wasn't unusual, though; the hobo liked to wander around, and he would always come back.

Out of the corner of his eye, he spotted something lying half buried in the snow. A familiar smell trickled up to his nose, and his mouth watered. It was food! Eagerly, he bounded toward it and immediately gulped it down. It was a half-eaten sandwich that was nothing but mold and ice, but he ate it anyway. In the back of his mind, he remembered the kit, all skin and bones, lying far back into the cardboard box. He shrugged the thought away. When he was done, he sat back and licked his chops. He was still hungry, but it wasn't as bad as before. He nosed around for anymore scraps, and finding none, he turned and dejectedly trudged back home. The cat suddenly stopped and looked up at the sky. It was blotted with thick gray clouds, and the white flakes floated down gently like soft petals. The sky had been that color for weeks. _I miss the sun, _Stone thought. A monster roared past him and splashed his fur with brown melted slush. He yowled and backed away. The melted snow sunk deep into his fur and dampened it. Instantly, he felt chilled to the bone. He tried to lick it off, but the muddy taste clung to his tongue and made him gag.

He felt his old anger bottled up inside him. It was about to burst. Red mist swirled around his eyes and he clenched his teeth.

As he trudged home, the angry red color shrouded his thoughts and churned inside him. _It's not fair, _he thought. _It's not fair. It's not fair. I hate this place. I hate everything about it. I hate it that I have to take care of that stupid kit. I hate that I have to eat scraps every day, I hate that I look so thin, I hate the monsters, the Twolegs, the snow, the clouds, the gray skies. I don't deserve this life. _He abruptly stopped walking. _Or do I? _He whined and scratched at his muzzle in frustration, his claws leaving crimson lines behind, as red as the anger bubbling inside him. He remembered the guilt he felt when he first left the forest, and he had carried it for every day of his life. The old anger grew. It simmered and seethed in him, and bubbled and threatened to explode. He growled deep in his throat. He didn't deserve this life!

"…Stone?" a voice asked tentatively.

Stone whirled around. In front of him stood Mouse, his paws scuffling awkwardly in the snow and his deep blue eyes looked up at him cautiously. "Are…you okay?" he asked. Stone hissed. "Of course I'm not okay, you stupid brat!" He yowled in rage and lunged at the kit. Mouse let out a startled yelp and dodged out of the way. His eyes were open wide in surprise. Stone's amber eyes glittered and narrowed into slits. This kit…this stupid, annoying kit. His claws itched, and in the blind fury of his anger, he pounced again. This time, he landed on his target, and he raked his claws across the kit's thin pelt. Mouse let out a shriek of pain and tried to squirm free, but the older tom pinned him down like a butterfly. Blood blossomed beneath his paws like crimson petals, and the dark gray tom stared with bitter satisfaction.

Why was he even taking care of this dumb kit? Why didn't he just leave him out in the snow to die? The fury coursed through his veins and took over his senses. _Kill, kill, kill, _his mind screamed. He wanted to take his anger out on someone. He sank his claws deep into the flesh while the kit writhed and howled in agony. Blood ran in streams and pooled around the soft snow. It had been so long since he last saw blood, and he cherished it. He raised his paw and whacked it into Mouse's side, causing the kit to gasp. He tried to stand up, but the older tom held him down. He meowed, "Stone! What are you doing?"

Stone gazed down at his blood soaked paws. Droplets scattered around the snow, painting the white canvas with scarlet. He grinned. It had been such a long time since he had fought in a battle, and now he craved blood. He slowly started to stalk towards Mouse. The kit let out a frightened whimper and crouched down. Then, suddenly, he bolted. The kit ran across the street and skidded around the corner, droplets of crimson spraying everywhere. Stone took off after him. _Kill, kill, kill…_


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

Mouse sprinted through Twolegplace, his breath coming in shallow gasps and his sides matted with crusted blood. His ears were flattened against his head and he tried to ignore the pain that knifed through him with every step. Stone was chasing him; he could feel it. _Why?_ he thought. Stone had never liked him very much, but Mouse never realized that the tom had _hated _him enough to try to kill him.

He dashed through the snow, trying to find a place to hide. He was too tired to run any longer. Suddenly, his ears pricked up when an unfamiliar scent wafted towards him. It smelled of sunlight, of soil, of wild things. He turned a corner, and paused when he saw a forest loom up in front of him.

The trees were bare, but their bark was strong and their trunks were thick. Their branches curled around the kit like fingers, as if welcoming him into a hug. The kit's eyes widened in disbelief. He had never seen so many trees in one place! _Stone never told me there was a forest here. _Without wasting any more time, he bounded into the woods.

Padding through the undergrowth, he stared at all the trees towering above him. It smelled of dirt and growing things, and despite the snow, it smelled warm. He stopped and looked back. Branches covered his view. _He'll never find me here_, I thought. There were enough branches and bushes to hide him.

He winced at the deep scratches that raked down his side. Bending over, he lapped at the wound and cleaned it as best as he could. Tiny creatures scurried in the undergrowth. His mouth watered, but he was too tired to hunt.

He suddenly looked up when he heard voices in the distance. They were coming closer. He frantically looked around and dove under a skeletal bush. He was small enough so that the bare branches hid him completely from view. Falling snowflakes covered his paw prints from view.

As he watched, three cats strolled over. One of them was a light gray she-cat, another one was a gray tom with black stripes, and the third was a black and white tom. Mouse stared at them in fascination.

The black and white tom paused and sniffed the air. He growled, "I smell another cat here. We might have intruders." He whirled around and sniffed the undergrowth, trying to track the scent. Mouse crouched lower into the bush. The tom didn't look very friendly.

The light gray she-cat added, "It smells fresh." A look of confusion swept across her face. "But it doesn't smell like any Clan I know. What do you think, Bumblestripe?" The gray tom with black stripes sat down on his haunches and yawned. He mewed, "Well, I don't really care, Toadstep. We're almost done with our patrol anyways, so why bother? I'd rather go back to camp. I'm freezing my tail off." The black and white tom, Toadstep, growled, "You're lazy as always, Bumblestripe." He paused and scented the air again, his jaw partly open. He said, "Well, I don't smell any fresh-kill, so the intruder didn't steal any prey. He must just have been passing through." He sighed and swept his tail. "Well, it is getting colder. Let's go." The other two cats obediently followed him.

Mouse watched them go, and he released the breath he didn't know he had been holding. He had been intimidated by them: they were strong, and muscles rippled beneath their smooth, groomed fur. Their eyes were shiny and alert, and they walked with their chests held high with pride. _They're obviously well-fed, _he thought. _I wonder if I could live with them instead of Stone? _At the thought of Stone, he saddened a little, and he shuddered when he remembered the way Stone looked when he attacked him. He had never seen him so angry before; the older tom's eyes had a murderous look to it. He buried his face in his paws. _What am I supposed to do now? _he thought. He was only still a kit, about 3 moons old. He didn't even know how to hunt properly yet. For a moment he was tempted to get up and ask the three cats if he could live with them, but he thought better of it. They obviously didn't like intruders and strangers. Mouse sighed and curled up under the bush, trying to make himself comfortable. His wounds stung and his stomach growled in hunger. He watched the snowflakes gently float down, and closed his eyes.


End file.
